Knuckles Echidna: And the Search for the Lost Emerald
by megamanfreakinx
Summary: Meet the intrepid, the undaunted, the fearless, Knuckles Echidna. Read, as this treasure hunter finds himself in his most daring adventure yet. Picture by Archie Comic Publications.
1. Chapter 1: The Lost Emerald

**Early Release, Yes!**

"Do you know who you are?"

"My name is Terrene."

"And it is you, Terrene, you would be the one to defy me?"

"That all depends. Are you good, or are you bad?"

"Foolish girl, there is no good, or bad. There is just me."

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Lost Emerald**

The echidna hit the treasure hunter fast, and hard. He hit him again, making his lose his breath. But the treasure hunter managed to keep it together, he readjusted his lucky hat and said, looking at his rival, "Dimitri." He spat out blood.

The bright echidna commanded for the treasure hunter to be let go. As he did, he got up and looked his enemy in the face.

"Knuckles Echidna, we meet again." Dimitri spat in his face. "Kill him."

The echidna who had beat the treasure hunter now grabbed him, and positioned him to be thrown from the volcano edge. The treasure hunter shouted, "Dimitri! You have no idea what that thing can do! It belongs with the Brotherhood of Guardians!"

Dimitri chuckled and admired his new prize, a small, green emerald. "And you have no idea what I can do." Dimitri climbed down the giant mountain that was the volcano.

Knuckles was thrown right in the middle of the active ash and heat. He yelled but quickly remembered what was in his pack. Pushing his body outwards he latched on his shovel claws to his hands and glided through the poison-filled air. His shovel claws dug into the dirt of the volcano walls, and he gasped in relief, "I hate that man."

 **Knuckles Echidna:**

 **And the Search for the Lost Emerald**

"It was late-middle Mobian. King Arthur charged his knights to find _the_ sacred artifact. A sword to be precise. And we can see, in ancient writ, we have a description of the sword, it was said to be around ten stones long. That's about five feet, from the tip of the sword to the hilt." Knuckles explained to a much attended classroom.

As he described it, he drew it on a chalkboard. "It says there was a centerpiece fashioned inside the sword, containing a jewel, or emerald. And this would be where the base of the steel met the handle."

Knuckles stopped to think, _except I'm no expert in the Arthur period. That would be my f-._

"Professor."

"What?" Knuckles looked around, it was the dean.

"If I may have a word." The dean was a porcupine.

"Certainly." Knuckles closed the door of his classroom behind him.

"There are some men here who would like to speak to you." The porcupine led the echidna to the dean's office.

"You don't say?" Knuckles saw the two gentlemen dressed in suits. "What are the APF's doing all the way here?"

One of the men answered as they shook the echidna's hand, "Urgent business, from the president herself."

"Really?" As the echidna slouched back on the porcupine's large chair, and the two men took a seat in front of the dean's desk. Knuckles said, "And what does President Sally want from me?" The echidna gave the dean a look that meant- "I saw this coming somehow".

One of the two threw a document filled with papers and photographs to the echidna. One of those pictures-Knuckles did recognize, "Dimitri."

"The Relic, professor. That is what we believe he is after." One of the two said.

Knuckles shot him a look, "The Relic. _The_ Heavenly Relic." He scoffed, "Gentlemen, I think you've wasted your time here."

The dean smiled at the two, "It's a myth. A story for children."

"Story or not, "One of the two finely dressed gentlemen started, "It is of significant value to old Dimitri, therefore it is of value to the Acorn Government."

"I just met the man, not two weeks ago. Dimitri only cares for power, not this focus locus nonsense." Knuckles stated.

"Be that as it may, he has sent half of his army away from Echidnopolis. One of our spies just went dark there. Another, our informant was helping us track Dimitri, until he as well has gone dark. We think he was captured." One of the two explained. "We need you to pick up where he left off."

Knuckles shrugged.

"You're expertise in this regard might be able to help us, and recover both of our informants. We know Dimitri was after the Chaos Emerald. We think it will lead him to the Heavenly Relic." One of the two said.

Knuckles began to excuse himself, "Even if I was able to recover the emerald, I would still be blind out there. I'm sorry gentlemen but it's my father you should be speaking with."

"We have. He was-"

"Don't tell me." Knuckles stopped, he rolled his eyes at his faraway father.


	2. Chapter 2: The Friend

"Hello Terrene."

"Daddy says you aren't real."

"No? Then how can you hear me now?"

"I don't believe him."

"You innocent child. Wherever you go, I will be. Wherever you hide, I will go. Whatever you think, I will know. And whatever you do, I will do."

"You're my only friend."

"I will keep you safe… friend."

 **Chapter 2**

 **The Friend**

The treasure hunter got out of the noisy plane. He readjusted his lucky hat, "Downunda. Haven't been here since…"

"Not since the bitzer Razorklaw had us all for tea." A tall kangaroo greeted the echidna.

"Well I'll be damned. Walt Wallabee!" Knuckles hugged his old friend, realizing what he had just told him, "That business with the Sand Blasters wasn't my fault."

"Too right mate!"

Knuckles asked, "How are the Downunda Dastardly?"

"Half of them alive no thanks to you! Why don't we check in for some tucker?" Walt offered.

"Good, I'm starving."

As Walt led the echidna to his room, Knuckles thanked his host again and opened his mouth in response to the throbbing heat from Downunda's weather. He admired the distant lights of the Sand Blaster City, and the even farther more lit lights of Echidnopolis. The treasure hunter wondered what Dimitri was up to this time. Not only was he the greatest power on Mobius at the time, but he, as all crazed tyrants do, craved more power. Power beyond the heavens, beyond reach of normal hands.

Knuckles, being the learned echidna that he was, didn't believe in such unpretentious articles of the unknown. In fact, if Knuckles couldn't see it, or touch it, he would discover it.

The red echidna fell on the small bed. He looked once more at his small clay and dirt bedroom before covering his eyes with his lucky hat.

Knuckles wasn't a snorer, but the uncomfortable ride over, and the elevated position of his neck made his throat agitated, and therefore painted the room with a loud clamor.

The echidna felt immediate pressure on his neck. The nights before he had be woken to abruptly by the always annoying, small, bile. Resurfacing itself and each time, making him cough, and gag his own vomit. Only, the one second that this happened, it seemed different. One other second later, he could feel, not only bile, but, a gravity pinning him to the bed. A third second later, Knuckles tried to heave and throw himself upwards, but was unable to do so. The last and sixth second, the echidna recognized the force holding him down to be of another animal being.

"Kagh!" Knuckles choked on the words as he spun left and right on his bed. The lucky hat on his head dropped left from the bed, and he could see a dark figure standing over him.

The echidna grabbed at the animals' clutching hands and tried to force them away. Seeing as he could not do this he kicked the animal away from him with great force. The blackened animal hit a dresser. He stumbled down, and before he could massage his aching, hit, head, he saw Knuckles charge at him.

Before it even started, it was over. Knuckles was the superior fighter. He clung to his attacker fiercely, threatening to strike him again, "Who sent you?"

Beneath the blackened figure was a scared animal, a koala. He did no respond.

"I don't want to ask again pal!" Knuckles threatened once more, this time raising his fist.

The koala only raised three fingers to the air- his pointer, thumb and middle fingers. He quickly bit Knuckles Echidna's hand making him release him. The koala jumped from open window and Knuckles looked away disappointingly.

He then heard someone scream from below.


	3. Chapter 3: The Missing Informant

"I can see you child. Why do you hide in the shadows you create?"

"Morgan Le Fay!"

"You know of me, and yet, we have never met. How is this possible?"

"I'm from-"

"I know where you're from! I ask, how is it possible?"

"Take me away, please! Where are you?"

"The darkness you speak to, it _is_ you!"

 **Chapter 3**

 **The Missing Informant**

Both Knuckles and Walt stayed outside and looked at the splattered body below.

"Did he say anything?" Walt Wallabee asked.

"More than he knew." Knuckles responded, panting because of the dry air.

"Where will you go?" The kangaroo examined the body more closely.

"There's only one place I've seen that symbol being used."

Walt looked up at the echidna, still searching the body, "Albion?"

"Albion."

"Legionnaires… I hate these guys." Knuckles Echidna ducked behind the railing overlooking a myriad of saluting, members of black. Each one had three fingers raised high to the sky. Knuckles looked around, exasperated, "Dad?!" He whispered loudly.

The old echidna was no where to be seen. Knuckles quickly left his post and sped clear across the hall and into the next bend of the adjacent hallway.

"This is the last time…!" Knuckles stopped abruptly, only to find his father was looking back at him with arms raised. Knuckles also raised his arms seeing a scruffy cat next to a white bat, pointing a gun at his father.

"What can I say?" Locke began, "Never trust a cat with an accent, or a bat for that matter." He looked back at smiling bat.

"Shut it." The bat pushed the old echidna and signaled for Knuckles to walk the same way.

"Razorklaw." Knuckles muttered under his breath as the monstrous, tall, cat made his way to the treasure hunter.

"The one and only!" The old cat clobbered Knuckles square in the jaw, making him fall.

"Kitty," The bat teased, "fetch Dimitri, won't you?"

The cat growled angrily and left in a hurry, while the bat led the two echidnas to the under chamber.

"Dad!" Knuckles began as they were being led down a stairwell.

"What?" Locke yelled back.

"You said we could trust her!" Knuckles tried whispering.

"Yes." Locke responded plainly.

"You said she was our ticket out of here." Knuckles muttered.

"Yes, I said that too." Locke grabbed at his pack more tightly as the two were presented to the multitude of Legionnaires.

"She's leading us straight to Dimitri!" Knuckles spat at his father, making him shift uncomfortably and trip on the very expensive rug.

"Will you two be quiet!?" The bat yelled back at them as she tied them together.


	4. Chapter 4: The SSS

"She died, how did you-?"

"I'm right here you know. You can talk to me!"

"Right, sorry. Terrene, is it?"

"Yes. You're Cream, well, another Cream… how many of you are there?"

"Quite a lot at the moment."

 **Chapter 4**

 **The SSS**

"Didn't I kill you? Not three weeks ago?" Old Dimitri took his time to walk around to the two, tied, echidnas, thank the bat, whisper something to Razorklaw, and managed to beat Knuckles senseless for a while.

Knuckles Echidna spat out blood on the large carpet. "Four!"

"Ah." Dimitri walked around to Locke and chortled, "I guess it won't matter. Both of you will be dead, and I will be the most powerful man on Mobius. No thanks to you Knuckles." He neared the treasure hunter again and crouched to meet eye to eye with him. "I really do have to thank you for this."

Dimitri pulled out a shining, green emerald from his jacket and waved it around Knuckles.

"It belongs-!" Knuckles was interrupted.

"Where? A museum?" Dimitri eyed the treasure hunter, getting ever closer. "You really need a better line than that one." The old echidna got up and faced his bat assistant. "Caitlyn, Kill them."

"With pleasure." The bat agreed as she pulled out a long knife from Gods know where.

As old Dimitri walked away he yelled, "Let's see you get out of this one, Professor Knuckles!"

"Damn." Knuckles spat, "I don't know about this one pops."

"I wouldn't be too worried." Locke still clung tightly to his pack.

"Hold still." Caitlyn urged Knuckles as she brought the knife next to his cheek.

"Get it over with! I want to hear them squeal." Razorklaw smacked his lips.

"You're sick." Knuckles commented.

"Tell me about it." Caitlyn swung the knife behind her and into the scruffy cat.

"Not… again…" Razorklaw breathed his final breath.

"I told you." Locke told his son.

"What?" Knuckles was more confused than ever. He shifted uncomfortably as the bat swung the knife into the rope that tied him.

"Relax." Caitlyn said, "I'm agent Rouge. I work for the Triple S." Her knife made her way to Locke as well.

"Sally's Silent Squad? You've got to be kidding me." Knuckles pushed the rope away from him.

"I know where Dimitri is headed. The emerald, it's leading him below Albion." Caitlyn explained.

"We're already underground." Knuckles started, "How deep is he willing to go?"


	5. Chapter 5: The Voice

"What's wrong with her?"

"Terrene, she… she has no home."

"No family?"

"I'm all that's left."

 **Chapter 5**

 **The voice**

Below the underground part of Albion were even more ruins of the Albanians. The halls, crevices, and stairs, the walls, were decorated with paintings from the past. Many Legionnaires gathered at the base of the underground city, around a wicked echidna. Dimitri stood next to a giant wall with a painting of a mammoth, another underground city, a staff, and another prize the mammoth was known to have taken into this world.

Dimitri laughed at the now three captured comrades, Locke, Knuckles and Caitlyn. "Oh what a shame, I thought you and I could share in this power." Dimitri stroked the bat's cheek.

"Leave them alone! It's me you want, let them go!" Knuckles yelled.

Dimitri stopped and faced Knuckles, "But don't you see, now you get to witness the rebirth of this world, and my ascension to glory!"

"Really Dimitri? The Heavenly Relic? This is low even for you." Knuckles reassured.

Dimitri was not amused but quickly smiled again, "Let us show the unbelievers, the truth!"

Loudly and in unison all Legionnaires raised their hands to the air and signaled and honored the great Dimitri.

The scum of the earth, and old echidna pulled the green emerald out from his jacket and placed it high on the wall and picture of the mammoth.

Dimitri yelled atop his lungs, "Mogul! Oh ancient leader of Ixis! We your humble followers ask that you show us your great power! And give me what was promised to me!"

Rapidly the green emerald was taken away from the old echidna's hands and raised higher up into the wall, closer to the mammoth. The eyes of the mammoth painting shone great and green with the emerald. Some Legionnaires needed to avert their eyes, but Dimitri saw and beheld the great power of Ixis.

Silently, the green emerald fell close to the treasure hunter. A portion of the giant wall began to shift away as the ceiling rock began to crumble away.

"Yes! Yes!" Dimitri yelled, and as he did, a mace-looking object came out from within the wall. It was given to Dimitri. "I have it now! The Scepter of Darkness is mine!"

Knuckles tried to reach for the emerald with his foot as he saw an occupied Dimitri.

"What are you doing?" Caitlyn asked.

"Not sure." Knuckles whispered back.

"Bow before you're master! Dimitri!" Dimitri yelled and his Legionnaires obeyed.

As soon as Knuckles' foot touched the green emerald, his mind was filled with thoughts, words, and emotions from someone he did not know.

"Join me to the Relic." The voice spoke softly but clearly in the treasure hunter's mind.

Just then, a power unbeknownst to Knuckles, untied them from their bonds. And a confused Dimitri looked at an even more confused Knuckles as he charged for him.

"What are you doing?!" Dimitri yelled as Knuckles took the emerald and slammed it against the scepter. "No!"

Knuckles, Locke and even Caitlyn stepped out of the underground cavern, and each could smell the fresh air, admiring and treasuring it.

"I don't know about you, but I've had one too many adventures for today." Locke supposed as he looked back at his son.

"I wouldn't say that." Knuckles looked and held Caitlyn's hand, "I'm fine with one more."

* * *

"You must go to that world and find the machine."

"How will I get there? I need you."

"The power is within you."

We come to the closing of one story, where one world has met with another. And the third world does not shatter, but it changes.

 **End of Teaser 1 for Reclaimer**


End file.
